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After years of campaigning, tweeting, and generally taking over the Internet with their rally cries, Community fans might finally be getting that highly-anticipated, long-prophesied sixth season. According to Deadline, Hulu has begun talks with Sony, who produces the cult hit, about acquiring more original episodes of the show after it was canceled by NBC earlier this month. The talks are still in their very early stages, and a deal is nowhere close to guaranteed, but that hasn't prevented Community fans from whipping themselves into a frenzy over the possibility. Creator Dan Harmon has also promised to return if the show does, stating, “I’m not going to be the guy that re-cancels cancelled Community.”
The dedication of Community's fans has helped keep the show on the air for most of its run, so it's no surprise that they're determined to spend one more year at Greendale, no matter where the show moves. But while there are still plenty of reasons to give the show another shot, and lots of questions left to wrap up — Will Jeff end up with Britta or Annie? Are Rachel and Abed still together? Did Troy and Levar Burton manage to escape from those pirates? — resurrecting Community might not be for the best in the long run. Perhaps it's finally time for fans and characters alike to graduate and move forward with their lives.
The fifth season had a lot of obstacles to overcome, from the firing, departure and re-hiring of Harmon to several key cast members leaving to finding a way to keep the premise intact after the characters graduated at the end of Season 4. Both the fans and writers viewed it as a re-building season, designed to get Community back to feeling like its old self again. And while there were many aspects of that reset that were successful, the show never quite managed to flow the way it used to, and there were plenty of problems that seemed to suggest that it might be time for Community to begin wrapping up its stories.
The departure of Donald Glover and Chevy Chase has had a major impact on the study group's dynamic, as well as on the show as a whole. Without Pierce to be the unpredictable, over-the-top antagonist, the show had to invent more and more ridiculous ways to pit the characters against each other and the people around them to generate conflict. Without Troy, there was nobody left to balance Abed, and the frequency and absurdity of the jokes in every episode rapidly declined. While the addition of John Oliver's Professor Duncan and Jonathan Banks' Professor Hickey went a long way towards filling the holes left by their absences, both actors have starring roles on high-profile shows that will no doubt conflict with their ability to appear on Community next season, and their loss will only make the dramatic shift in dynamic and tone more obvious and more difficult to overcome.
Pierce and Troy's absence wasn't the only major problem the fifth season had. Many of the plots seemed to be repeating themselves — Greendale's in danger, it's saved by the study group, it's in danger again; Chang is evil, now he's reformed, no wait, now he's evil again; Jeff likes Britta, then he likes Annie, then he likes a random guest star, now he's back to Annie, now he's going to stay single — and the gimmicks that were once creative and interesting now seemed uninspired. Community mostly seemed to be spinning its wheels in its fifth season, and the writers seemed hesitant to commit to taking the plots in different, unexpected directions the way they used to. Even Harmon's return wasn't enough to get Community back to its old self. Though his work on the fifth season managed to right a lot of the wrongs of the season four "gas leak," it still didn't feel like the show had regained whatever spark it has lost over time. If anything, the latest season of Community seemed to suggest that the show has finally run out of steam.
Every show eventually hits a point when it becomes time to wrap things up, and it's impossible to sustain the concept or storylines or the writers just run out of new, wacky situations for the characters to wind up in. Community is a more high-concept, inventive show than most other sitcoms, and eventually, that began to weigh things down. There's a chance that a sixth season could give Community the kick it needs to wake up, but it seems more likely that it will just make the show's fatigue more obvious. The last two seasons have struggled to recapture the show's essence and what made it so special, but if Harmon couldn't bring it back, a sixth season probably won't manage the trick either. Is it really worth getting a sixth season of Community if it's no longer truly Community?
Over the course of the show's run, we've watched our favorite characters grow, change and mature. They've had epic paintball battles, survived campus-wide apocalypses, and supported Cougar Town through a cancelation scare, move to mid-season and the transition to a new network. But the end goal has always been graduation, accomplishing their goals and moving on to the real world. Eventually things have to come to an end, and maybe it's time for Community to do just that. Five seasons is an impressive run, especially for a show as weird and self-referential as this one. So maybe instead of hitting an arbitrary goal that we've assigned an incredible amount of importance to we should celebrate the time we spent with the study group, and move on along with them.
Whether Hulu decides to pick up the show or not, at least Community got the run that The Cape never did. If that's not justice, we don't know what is.
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NBC
And with one last cafeteria dance party, Greendale has once again been saved, and Community has almost reached its ultimate goal of six seasons and a movie.
But the group’s hard-earned victory felt somewhat hollow, and the fifth season was brought to a close in a particularly lackluster way. Despite last week’s episode, “Basic Story” setting up a slightly different, more interesting take on the idea of the study group contemplating moving on and growing up, the finale threw all of those developments out the window for what turned out to be their most formulaic adventure yet. In fact, lackluster the best way to sum up season five as a whole, which got off to a great start, but seemed to fall flat after losing Troy and Pierce.
Since “Basic Sandwich” brings to a close a season surrounded by controversy and media attention, it seems only fair to look back on all of the episodes to see what worked, what didn’t and what we think Community can improve in the event that get the season we’ve been waiting for.
Worked: Duncan and Hickey The loss of Troy and Pierce left the study group somewhat off-balance, but Duncan and Hickey were the ideal replacements for two of the gang’s most important members. Like Donald Glover, John Oliver has the ability to deliver almost every punch line perfectly, and so he’s given this season some of its best and weirdest jokes. Jonathan Banks has also made a great addition to the group, giving their adventures some edge and playing the “grumpy older man” role with hilarious results. We’re not sure if they’ll be back next year, as both are committed to other series, but we sincerely hope they are. After all, we still need to find out how Hickey’s gay son’s wedding went.
Didn’t Work: The Finale The fifth season kicked off with “Repilot,” which allowed the show to start over again from a fresh, new perspective, which is why it makes no sense for the show to end on another push of the reset button. What’s the point of setting up interesting storylines or putting the characters through major changes of everything’s going to be wiped away at the end of the season with some Dave Matthews Band? The whole point of this season was to rebuild the show after the “gas leak,” and so ending up at the same place we started essentially renders everything that happened this year pointless.
Worked: Abed Abed was by far the MVP of Season 5, and his combination of meta commentary and heart gave the show some much-needed life this year. Between his heartbreaking goodbye to Troy and his long, rambling monologue about Britta and Jeff’s spinoff in “Basic Sandwich,” Abed continues to be one of the show’s strengths, and he has truly become the heart and soul of Community. Plus, he does the best Nicolas Cage impression we’ve ever set eyes on.
Didn’t Work: Lack of Shirley Her relationships with the other members of the study group have given the show some of its best episodes and most iconic moments, but the fifth season of Community saw Shirley shunted to the side in favor of the other characters. She never once received a story line of her own, and all of the things we’ve learned about her over the years – her devotion to her family, her dedication to her business, her secret foosball past – were touched upon at all this year. It’s not enough to simply reference her lack of screen time. You need to actually give her some more attention in order for it to work.
Worked: Higher Stakes This year’s highlights came whenever the characters dealt with big issues: the loss of two of their own, the threat of mortality, life turning out differently than they expected, and having to leave behind their safety net. These stories provided the funniest moments and the cleverest parodies and gave the fifth season some much needed weight. We’re hoping the writers will bring keep exploring bigger issues in the sixth season, as everything gets a little more serious now that the study group understand what failure in the real world feels like.
Didn’t Work: Jeff/Annie/Britta Look, we don’t care if he dates Britta, Annie, both or neither, but the show needs to either follow through with this plot or let it go completely. We can’t suffer through any more of Jeff and Annie pining over each other, and while we love Britta and Jeff’s bickering, their fake-out attempts at a relationship are losing their charm. Pick a direction and stick with it, and please, spare us all any more will-they-or-won’t-they-is-this-a-love-triangle-or-are-they-all-just-friends nonsense.
Only Kind of Worked: Season 4 Bashing We get it: Dan Harmon hates Season 4. It’s understandable. But while we loved the small references to the issues everyone had with those episodes, much of this season felt like Harmon was just attempting to prove how much better he is at running Community than everyone else. The parody episodes felt less like homages than an opportunity to showcase how much better his references were, and many of the characters’ plots felt like a deliberate attempt to undo everything the show runners of season four came up with. Now that we’ve all made peace with the past, how about we just look forward for season six, and allow everyone to just move on. (We're still on board with the gas leak idea, though.)
Still Doesn’t Work No Matter How Hard We Try: Chang Ken Jeong still has some brilliant moments, but Chang hasn’t felt like an organic part of the show since he was fired way back in season one. He flip-flops back and forth between good and evil as the story requires, but he doesn’t’ add anything to the show. If the writers can’t figure out a decent story for him for the next season, it might be best to just reduce his role to a recurring one, so that we get all of the best parts of Chang without him wearing out his welcome. Or just give him and Garret a spinoff. We’d watch every episode of that.
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NBC
There's a new cast member on Community - Jonathan Banks. I couldn't be happier.
Banks is replacing a very well-known person on the show: Chevy Chase. That's not an issue, though since many people still remember him as Mike Ehrmantraut on Breaking Bad. That's his main cachet now. Well, he's playing a slightly more vulnerable version of him in this show - a man who is not afraid to admit that he hasn't given up on his dream of cartooning. His doing this is like Andre Braugher doing Brooklyn Nine-Nine. A usual dramatic actor doing comedy, though Banks has stepped out that zone more by doing shows like Parks &amp; Rec, Two and a Half Men and voiceover work on Axe Cop . He's the second Breaking Bad alumn to make the switch - Betsy Brandt did too. I always like seeing actors do things counter to what they are known for, so when I see them in their regular role, I can remember things like this.
Banks' character, Professor Buzz Hickey, has already had several memorable scenes in his three-episode arc, including trying to find the "Ass-Crack Bandit" and ragging on perpetual student Leonard Rodriguez (Richard Erdman). He's already fit into the mediocrity of the Greendale Community College faculty, though he has enjoyed the cafeteria-line cutting perks that the professors enjoy.
His deadpan style is perfect for the zaniness of the other people on the show, especially with Dean Pelton (Jim Rash). There's even a running joke about his replacing Chase on the show - John Oliver's Professor Ian Duncan called him by Chase's character's name, Pierce, and snarked that he was glad that he got rid of the hairpiece. I hope they keep building him up on the show and maybe give him a really big subplot in a later episode.
It's a pity that Community and Brooklyn Nine-Nine are on separate networks. I would love a crossover between the two shows, where Banks could match up against Braugher. Then again, with how much they command the screen, the film might just be all chewed up.
Still, I'll enjoy this run of Banks on Community for as long as it goes on. I just hope they don't do something like have Hickey get shot and stuffed into a barrel of hydrofluoric acid.
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Summit via Everett Collection
You can imagine that Renny Harlin, director and one quadrant of the writing team for The Legend of Hercules, began his pitch as such: We'll start with a war, because lots of these things start with wars. It feels like this was the principal maxim behind a good deal of the creative choices in this latest update of the Ancient Greek myth. There are always horse riding scenes. There are generally arena battles. There are CGI lions, when you can afford 'em. Oh, and you've got to have a romantic couple canoodling at the base of a waterfall. Weaving them all together cohesively would be a waste of time — just let the common threads take form in a remarkably shouldered Kellan Lutz and action sequences that transubstantiate abjectly to and fro slow-motion.
But pervading through Lutz's shirtless smirks and accent continuity that calls envy from Johnny Depp's Alice in Wonderland performance is the obtrusive lack of thought that went into this picture. A proverbial grab bag of "the basics" of the classic epic genre, The Legend of Hercules boasts familiarity over originality. So much so that the filmmakers didn't stop at Hercules mythology... they barely started with it, in fact. There's more Jesus Christ in the character than there is the Ancient Greek demigod, with no lack of Gladiator to keep things moreover relevant. But even more outrageous than the void of imagination in the construct of Hercules' world is its script — a piece so comically dim, thin, and idiotic that you will laugh. So we can't exactly say this is a totally joyless time at the movies.
Summit via Everett Collection
Surrounding Hercules, a character whose arc takes him from being a nice enough strong dude to a nice enough strong dude who kills people and finally owns up to his fate — "Okay, fine, yes, I guess I'm a god" — are a legion of characters whose makeup and motivations are instituted in their opening scenes and never change thereafter. His de facto stepdad, the teeth-baring King Amphitryon (Scott Adkins), despises the boy for being a living tribute to his supernatural cuckolding; his half-brother Iphicles (Liam Garrigan) is the archetypical scheming, neutered, jealous brother figure right down to the facial scar. The dialogue this family of mongoloids tosses around is stunningly brainless, ditto their character beats. Hercules can't understand how a mystical stranger knows his identity, even though he just moments ago exited a packed coliseum chanting his name. Iphicles defies villainy and menace when he threatens his betrothed Hebe (Gaia Weiss), long in love with Hercules, with the terrible fate of "accepting [him] and loving [their] children equally!" And the dad... jeez, that guy must really be proud of his teeth.
With no artistic feat successfully accomplished (or even braved, really) by this movie, we can at the very least call it inoffensive. There is nothing in The Legend of Hercules with which to take issue beyond its dismal intellect, and in a genre especially prone to regressive activity, this is a noteworthy triumph. But you might not have enough energy by the end to award The Legend of Hercules with this superlative. Either because you'll have laughed yourself into a coma at the film's idiocy, or because you'll have lost all strength trying to fend it off.
1/5
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NBC
It's been a long wait, but Community is back, with Dan Harmon once again at the helm. We might have been a bit skeptical, but with "Repilot" and "Introduction to Teaching," it feels like it might actually be possible for Community to reach its former heights. Granted, the first two episodes didn't blow us away, but it was good to see the gang back together, all hanging out and having Nicolas Cage-induced breakdowns once again. The table might be new, but everything else is still the same.
In case you haven't had a chance to catch up with your favorite human beings yet, we've broken down the highlights, lowlights, and surprises of the fifth season premiere.
THE GOOD
There was something about "Repilot" and "Introduction to Teaching" that really did feel like we were properly back at Greendale. The new episodes were a bit darker than anything in Season 4, which, weirdly enough, may have been just what was missing. Despite that, there was still plenty of the weirdness and fun that we have come to love about Community, and there was definitely a lot to love.
The Jokes. Every single character got in at least one truly great one-liner in both episodes, although they were far and away led by Troy, who nailed every one of his jokes (from his Tumblr dedicated to Clive Owen to his confusion about the phrase "Et tu, Brute?"). However, his funniest moment of the night came when everyone was crying over the ways they have been changed by Greendale, and he declared that he was "much sadder than the rest of you. I'll figure out why later." We're really going to miss both Troy and Donald Glover when it comes time for him to leave. Elsewhere, Britta managed to be funnier than an entire riot/food fight when she realized that she had run out of data minutes on her phone after promising to live-stream the riot on the Internet. And let's not forget the Dean's sad French inner monologue, which is both weirdly plausible for his character and the funniest gag of the night.
The Callbacks. It wouldn't be a proper episode of Community without plenty of callbacks and meta references, so Harmon and Chris McKenna decided to stuff these two episodes full of them. From the moment that Jeff reacted to the arrival of his former study group with a forced "It's the coolest..." through to the re-appearance of Dramatic Studies teacher Professor "Professorson" Garrety, there was more than enough for dedicated Community fans to recognize and appreciate. It might make it harder for new fans to come to Community, even after the new pilot, but it as a nice nod to the fans to include so many parallels and returning characters. After all, who hasn't missed Magnitude pop-popping up to bring his one-man party all around campus?
Nicolas Cage. There are very few shows who would be willing to dedicate an entire subplot to Nicolas Cage, but Community took that challenge one step further, and turned the most confusing actor of all time into a poignant metaphor for understanding human nature. Abed's had a lot of psychotic breakdowns over the course o the last five years, but Danny Pudi took things to the next level with his incredible Cage impression. If the Emmys don't appreciate his "sexy cat", then there's no hope left for this show, because that was some of the strangest and best physical comedy on television in a long time. Plus, the sweet moment he had with Shirley at the end of the episode was one of the most surprisingly poignant scenes that Community has ever featured.
THE BAD
No show is perfect, not even this one. Therefore, for all of the things that worked on the first two episodes of the season, there were also some plots that didn't quite work or jokes that didn't quite land.
Jeff's Flip-flopping. The show has spent four years establishing Jeff as a character who is fundamentally a good person, even when he finds it easier to be mean or shallow or lazy. While it was a nice callback to the pilot to have Jeff struggle against his old self and the way he behaves as a lawyer, he seemed to turn on his former school far too quickly. And then, after he had effortlessly convinced his friends to turn their backs on Greendale with him, he instantly flipped back to being a good guy, and became determine to save the school instead. It makes more sense for Jeff to save Greendale, but the way he kept switching sides over the course of he episode was confusing, and an obvious plot device.
Shirley's Marraige Is Over (Again). It may have been a nice homage to where everyone started the series years ago, but it was disappointing to find out that Shirley and Andre have decided to separate again. After watching Shirley learn to forgive Andre and move past his cheating, and seeing them reconcile with a baby and remarry in the study room, it seems like a major regression to just throw all of that progress away. Shirley's marriage was a major part of her character, and her learning to grow and be less judgmental over time, which is why it makes no sense to just get rid of it all. She proved that she's retained that knowledge in her scene with Abed in "Introduction to Teaching," so we're hoping the end of her marriage doesn't spell the end of character development for Shirley. Besides, we miss seeing Andre's funky patterned sweaters.
Alan Connor. Don't get us wrong, we love Rob Corddy as Jeff's slimy co-worker, and him using a hotel's concierge desk as an office was a great joke. But he never quite seemed to work in the episode, despite being the reason Jeff went back to Greendale. For someone who is continually bullying Jeff, he seemed to spend the whole episode cowering around him, and never managed to be properly intimidating. He's been a great villain in past episodes, but something about his presence in "Repilot" just never managed to be particularly menacing.
THE SHOCKING
In addition to the good jokes, and awkward elements, there were a few things in "Repilot" and "Introduction to Teaching" that managed to surprise us, just when we thought that nothing Community could do would shock us any more.
Pierce. Pierce returned! As a hologram! To dispense life advice! We knew that Chevy Chase wouldn't be appearing in the new season, so to have him appear briefly at the climax of "Repilot" was a great treat. It makes perfect sense that Pierce would become a hologram, and even more sense that it he would mess up his touching advice with a homophobic jab at whoever helped him rig the whole thing. It was a wonderful way to have both the characters and fans pay tribute to Pierce's absence and move on, and it also leaves the writers an opening to bring back his hologram any time they like.
Professor Hickey. We knew that Jonathan Banks would be a great addition to the cast, but we were surprised at just how easily he became part of the study group, and how natural it felt to have him there. The show also did a great job of not making it obvious from the start that he was meant to take Pierce's place, but rather, allowing him to establish himself as someone who can provide both advice and conflict. And he draws cartoon ducks named Jim. What's not to love?
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Garry "Jerry" Gergich may be the bane of the Parks and Recreation department of Pawnee, but in real life the actor who plays the mishap-prone Jerry, Jim O'Heir, is a complete delight. Hollywood.com caught up with O'Heir in time for the Season 5 finale of Parks and Rec (and right in the middle of spring) to solve a few important mysteries, such as: How much of a cliffhanger is the season finale going to be? How did Jerry snag his smoking hot wife, Gayle, anyway? And, as a matter of solving question number two, how does Jerry go about wooing the ladies during a prime dating season like spring?
Of course, while O'Heir says he understands the confusion about Jerry and his ravishing wife (played by Christie Brinkley), perhaps Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott) and his fellow Pawneeans are just being a little myopic. "People fall in love for a million different reasons. Some people don’t see physicality, they see what’s inside of a person," says O'Heir. And if we're being really specific, O'Heir also points out, "In the bachelor party episode, Jerry would not have normally gone for someone like Gayle, because he says, 'Long legs, blonde hair, big breasts? Not my type at all.' That’s what’s even crazier. Like, why the hell are they together?"
To get to the bottom of the mystery, we devised a test for O'Heir and his beloved office screwup: How does Jerry date? And given the he-man task of watching over Iron Man's suit, what would he do with it? From the looks of O'Heir's answers, it's pretty clear how good ol' flatulent Jerry managed to bag a babe like Gayle. (Well, almost.)
Jerry's Dating Tips for Spring:–Everything needs a spring cleaning. Nose and ear hair included. Use fingers or clippers. –Always have a box of Marzipan ready in case you meet a special someone. –Watch what you eat before the date. Unexpected flatulence is and can be embarrassing. –Don’t be too pushy. If by the third date you feel like things are going well... maybe take her hand into yours. I’ve always been a bit of a risk taker, so that move is not for everyone.–You’ll most likely spill something on yourself. Always carry a handkerchief for accidents. –Most importantly... Be respectful and ALWAYS BE A GENTLEMAN!
Jerry's Plans for Iron Man's Suit–Jerry would use the power of flight to have lunch in Muncie EVERY DAY! –Jerry would use the quick reflexes to be able to file faster (and more accurately). –Jerry would take Gayle in his arms and fly her anywhere she wanted to go. Probably to our time share in Muncie. –Jerry would use the speed of the suit to fill all the Hummingbird Feeders in the parks. For some reason they always pick Jerry's name out of the random drawing. –The only adjustment to the suit would be an air hole in the buttock area (in case of fart attack). –Jerry would also ask everyone else in the office what he could help them with. He's a helluvah guy!
His big move is hand-holding? He'd use Iron Man's suit to fly Gayle to Muncie. How could a lady resist those charms? Apparently, she couldn't.
And here's hoping Jerry's charms have the same effect on NBC, who's yet to announce a sixth season for Parks and Recreation. Getting a little more serious, O'Heir spoke about the final episode and why his series needs another season.
"Some fans are so loyal, they almost want it to end so that there will never be a bad episode. I think it’s a little nutty, but I think even those people, because there’s a cliffhanger, would be very upset if they didn’t find out what happens. They’d be pulling out their hair," says O'Heir. But he notes, the hope to continue the series isn't just about resolving the cliffhanger, it's about keeping the cast – who he says is a rather tight, friendly bunch – together.
"It’s not about work. It’s about what goes on on that set, so it’s very selfish at this point. It’s just too much fun ... Sometimes after Season 5, people can be like, 'Okay, time to move on.' We have none of that. I mean, literally, no one wants this to end," he says.
Luckily for O'Heir, neither do we. While we think NBC knows what's good for them (Parks is their second highest-rated comedy next to the departing The Office), and that we will see much more of Jerry and his Pawneean cohorts for at least one more season.
The Parks and Recreation season finale airs Thursday night at 9:30 PM ET on NBC.
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Look in the sky. It’s a plane. It’s a bird. It’s a frog. No it’s just little old Underdog or as his young master so aptly calls him “Superman with a flea collar.” In Disney’s live-action version of the 1960s animated superhero parody the canine crimebuster (voiced by Jason Lee) returns to nip at the heels of arch nemesis Simon Barsinister (Peter Dinklage). Unlike the cartoon Underdog who took on human characteristics this pooch keeps all four paws on the ground Except of course when he’s zooming off to save the day. And it’s all thanks to the mad scientist Barsinister that Shoeshine—Underdog’s secret identity—runs as fast as a cheetah and flies like an eagle. Shoeshine turns into the Mutt of Steel after coming into contact with a serum created by Barsinister. His transformation from zero to superhero leaves Barsinister desperate to replicate the results of this lab accident for typically evil purposes. Assuming that is he can get his hands on Shoeshine who’s already found refuge in the Capitol City home of an ex-cop (Jim Belushi) and his son Jack (Alex Neuberger). With Jack’s help Shoeshine finds his true calling as man’s best super-powered friend. Oh and when he’s not thwarting jewelry heists he’s trying to win the heart of his very own Lois Lane “Sweet” Polly Purebred (voiced by Amy Adams). But Underdog must set aside his feelings for the King Charles spaniel when Barsinister and his dimwitted henchman Cad (Patrick Warburton) attempt to extort $1 billion from Capitol City. Let the dogfight begin! How wise of Disney not to unleash a computer-generated Underdog à la Garfield or Scooby-Doo. In or out of his formfitting superhero costume Leo the Lemon Beagle deserves a big juicy bone for his energy and resourcefulness. It certainly helps that director Frederik Du Chau knows how to work with animals having previously directed Racing Stripes. Beware though: Leo’s so darn cute that your kids will beg you for a Beagle for Christmas. Jason Lee who crosses over to the side of good after voicing The Incredibles’ malevolence Syndrome makes Underdog as humble and affable as his TV alter ego Earl Hickey from My Name is Earl. Still there are times that Lee’s so laidback with his narration you’ll swear you’re watching an episode of My Name is Underdog. Amy Adams delightfully kooky in Junebug makes for a surprisingly bland Polly. Brad Garrett though makes sure the bullying Rottweiler Riff Raff’s booming bark is worse than his bite. As for the humans K-9’s Jim Belushi is once again upstaged by a canine costar and Alex Neuberger does nothing to suggest he’s got what it takes to be the next tween heartthrob. Disheveled and disfigured Peter Dinklage is suitably hammy as the maniacal man of science. A bleach-blonde Patrick Warburton continues to exploit his Seinfeld fame by playing yet another Puddy-like himbo even though this act lost its novelty many dog years ago. Superheroed out? Then it’s certainly not enough for director Frederik Du Chau to make us believe a dog can fly. That said this Underdog is more for pups than parents. If your child’s never seen an episode of Underdog they’ll certainly get a kick out of the obvious efforts to spoof Superman from our hero’s phone-booth costume changes to his struggle to retain his secret identity. Du Chau doesn’t show much imagination when it comes to chronicling Underdog’s pursuit of truth justice and the American Kennel Club’s Way but at least he gives the predictable proceedings some oomph. He also keeps the poop jokes to a bare minimum and avoids making the kind of sexual innuendos that ruined The Cat in the Hat ensuring this four-legged superhero offers nothing but good clean fun for kids who have grown tired of Ratatouille. Parents though may find themselves wishing they were watching Spider-Man 3 again. Underdog makes no effort to appeal to anyone who isn’t suffering from a severe case of arrested development. Sure those weaned on the cartoon should come away mightily impressed with Underdog’s efforts to stay as true to its source material as possible. But there are only so many times you want to hear Underdog rhyme while he fights all who rob and plunder. Kids though will certainly walk out of the theater singing the beefed-up theme song and rooting for Underdog to save another day.